


About Cats and birthday cakes

by RaspberryDevil



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: KyouHaba Week, M/M, Single Dad - AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-15
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-20 22:17:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4804253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaspberryDevil/pseuds/RaspberryDevil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yahaba could have fallen in love with his daughter's new teacher, the vet or just the new neighbour. But no, of course he is not granted such a cliché, but when had a fairy tale ever worked out for him?<br/>Or<br/>Yahaba meets a certain pastry chef but he is kind of an asshole and that's when he doesn't give a damn about fairy tale's any more. The only question left – how does he tell his daughter?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day 03 pets/family

**Author's Note:**

> At first I didn't know what to write about but then I felt like writing a “single dad AU” and here we are. I'm not good in coming up with names, so his daughter hasn't one, I'm sorry if this might confuse you.

Yahaba sighs. It's a relief, the warmth of his bed and the familiar four walls. Moments like these assure him of the circumstance that he is overworking himself, no doubt about it, but as long as it would support his family, he thinks that everything would pay off in the end. Besides, it's only a year of which two months are already over.

“Father?”

He sits up immediately when he hears the small voice, alerted and any concern about his own well-being pushed aside.

“Is something wrong?”, he asks the little girl standing behind the ajar door, waiting for his permission to enter the room – it's a habit she picked up from her mother and he still doesn't know how to feel about that.

“Can't sleep”, she mumbles, an answer which calms him down because it's nothing serious, or at least nothing which can't be solved with a “come here” and a pat on the mattress's empty space next to him; her eyes lit up and she hastily makes her way to him, climbing on the bed, a little stuffed dog in her hands.

“Nervous because of your first day at school?”

“No, I'm fine”, she says, shaking her head and it fills him with pride to see how strong she wants to be, confident as her mother and the hope that she strives for something bigger, greater when he is doing, makes him happy; he loves his little daughter more than anything else, she is his family after all.

“So, what is it then?”, he asks, hand brushing her bangs back and trough her short blond hair, a gesture which causes her to giggle, especially when he manages to find a lost pin, placing it on the night table with a fond smile, reaching over to turn on a lamp so that he could see her face.

“My birthday is soon.”

He hums, after all there is no way he would forget something like that and when he asks her whether she wants something special, she shrugs.

“Will you be home?”

“Of course”, he says, kissing her forehead, “I won't miss your favourite day.”

She giggles, before she announces that she is tired and, keeping the plush dog close to her chest, would go back to her own bed.

That day, he falls asleep feeling a bit better and with the assurance that last working day of the week tomorrow should be no problem.

* * *

On Monday, after coming home, she can't stop talking about the new friends she made at the first day of school, how nice the teachers were, the new subject she will learn and Shigeru listens. It's good to see that she is having fun, that she isn't isolated and he kind of hopes that she won't change too much.

It's after her first week of school that she acts just a bit different though, but he can't tell the reason behind it, after all speaking the truth is something he taught her, that he will never be mad – he knew how hard it can be, constantly lying and hiding

But now his daughter is hiding something from him and he doesn't really know how to feel about this.

*

It's a cat.

When her teacher calls him on Tuesday to pick up his daughter, he awaits the worst, but as he stepped in the classroom with four guilty looking girls, three presumingly mothers and a cat in the teacher's arms, he visibly relaxes – he still tries to look stern though.

The teacher named Shirabu fills him in, about the girls feeding the cat which looks too tame to be a stray, hiding her in the gym and considering that he doesn't look too annoyed, Yahaba assumes that he could care less and another teacher must have found out about it and told him to act on it.

“Please, father, I found her in the rain, I couldn't leave her”, the little one explains as soon as she is allowed to talk, the other three nodding but not daring to say anything.

It's a pretty cat, Yahaba thinks when he looks at the ball of fur, and he wonders whether someone abandoned the pet or left a door open. It's a pity because it has nice thick orange fur and doesn't seem too agitated, probably an indoor cat who had never been outside.

“She can be my birthday present I won't wish for anything else then! I'll take good care of her!”

“We'll be taking her to the vet and then decide”, he finally declares when nobody else seems to make a decision, taking the cat from the teacher with a little thank you; he is too weak when it comes to his daughter, but a look at the other parents shows that they seem relieved, as if they would have made the same decision but couldn't.

She seems happy and even when he makes her apologise to the teachers and the parents, she can't stop beaming with joy, as if she already knows that they will take the cat in even though he said that they still have to decide.

(He isn't sure but he thinks he heard the teacher say something about good luck – he really needs this.)

* * *

The vet is kind of suspicious.

Not in the way doctors are sometimes, lacking skills, but in the way that he is too charming and Yahaba wonders how much the man which introduces himself as Oikawa would have flirted with him if he had been a woman.

“Well, isn't she a cute one. She looks a bit older. Did you buy her?”, he asks while handling the cat with care, looking at her fur and doing a little check up, heart, paws and ears.

“No, my daughter and her friends found her in the rain”, Shigeru explains which puts a frown on Oikawa's pretty face, but when he turns to the child, there is a smile again.

“Well, I don't like to judge people but it's not really fair. Good thing you take care of them.”

“Them?”

 _Please don't say what I think,_ Yahaba begs, but even this can't stop the vet from telling the truth, causing his daughter's eyes to widen before s he turns to him, jumping up and down.

“Father, kittens! Lots of kittens.”

“She's pregnant?”, he asks again, just to make sure, not as happy as his daughter seems to be about this revelation, something Oikawa can tell, so he offers to inform him how to take care of a pregnant cat, what he has to be mindful of when the kittens are born.

“I'm not sure whether we can keep them.”

“But father, we can't give her away, she has been trough so much already!.”

It's unusual seeing her like that, asking for something and maybe this should be reason enough, the first time wanting something, but how should they take care of the kittens when he has trouble looking after himself while taking care of his daughter?

“We can't keep all of them. No, young lady, don't look at me like that, it won't work. Don't –”

“They will be your cats and you have to take care of them. It's pretty hard being there for more than four cats. Do you think you can handle this?”, the vet asks, crouching down in front of her.

She seems to wrestle with herself, puffed cheeks and pout, but eventually she nods, hands grasping his skirt, showing her unwillingness.

“You said you and your friend found her? You could talk to her parents and maybe one can have each, so the kittens get a home and you could still visit them.”

This brings her back into a better mood.

“Thank you”, Yahaba mouths, but the vet just sends him a bright smile and a wink.

Oikawa Tooru is a really weird person, Yahaba decides, but not less attractive.

* * *

“Father, she is gone. I left the door open and now she left.”

She fights with her tears, hiding her face behind her bangs, wonders whether the cat doesn't like her, doesn't want to stay after her first day with them. Yahaba kneels down, gently taking her by her shoulders.

“She is just not used to this home yet. Come, I'll search for her. You stay here in case she comes back. And when you see a stranger, go back inside.”

She nods, leaning against the ajar door while Yahaba shifts his gaze from left to right, searching for a clue, trying to suppress a curse when he sees that one of his neighbours has his door open.

“Matsukawa-san?”, he calls for his neighbour, gently knocking while praying that the cat ran into the flat.

“And you are?”

The man suddenly standing behind him makes Yahaba almost jump.

“I'm sorry. Our cat fled and the door was open, so I hoped that it would have gotten inside instead of further down”, he explains himself, even though he doesn't have to, after all he doesn't owe the stranger an explanation.

“Okay, let me led you in.”

“Uhm...”

“Hanamaki, I'm a friend and will move in with Issei. He is down at the car.”

Yahaba thinks he has seen the man a few times and maybe he had thought how very attractive he is during these meeting, and normally he would do now as well, but there is a cat to focus on; they find her in the bedroom, sleeping on the big bed and Yahaba apologises more than once when he sees how comfortable she made herself.

“Don't worry. A pregnant one, huh?”, Hanamaki says, picking her up after insisting to do so, being surprisingly gentle with the cat while carrying her outside.

“Long story”, Yahaba sighs, and the other man smirks, tells him that they'll be busy though as soon as they have some time, he should come over and tell them about it.

Despite of the feeling that there is no harm to it and even though he agrees, Yahaba doubts that he takes upon this offer in the near future or that they will have time, not even remember this invitation. But it's okay.

All that matters is that his daughter is happy again and Yahaba is sure that they'll manage this.

* * *

Yahaba shouldn't have thought that everything works out.

Because obviously his boss wouldn't allow a free day off, just letting him go earlier and now his time frame his smaller than thought.

Because he had to call a friend since the mothers wouldn't allow their daughter's to stay at a house without a female person and said friend was rather reluctant because _what if I just look away for a second and they throw down an expensive vase and then someone steps into the shatters and has to be rushed into the hospital and the mothers don't trust you and your daughter will have no friends and grows up without them because of me and_ “No, Yachi, I believe you can do this”.

Because even though he managed everything so far, the cake which had been made for his daughter is one the ground now and he is so done with everything.

“Can't you watch out?”, he barks at the man who had run into him when he had opened the door with one hand.

“What's your problem?”

“My problem is you and –”

No no, he isn't going to cry, he isn't – he hates that tears come easily to him when he is angry, or just generally overwhelmed by any emotion.

“Calm down. I make you a new one, okay?”

“But I need it today, you –”

He stops himself just in time, tries to remember that he is still in the little shop, probably scaring the young women behind the counter. The man looks rather uncomfortable as well, though it's hard to tell with the delinquent look, and if Yahaba hadn't been so frustrated, he might have felt guilt; he had enough time to do this later.

“Here. Buy one which isn't special made and I bring you a new one tomorrow.”

The man takes Yahaba by his shoulders and turns him around after showing some money in his hands.

“Fine.”

He takes a one which seems as if it had enough chocolate and just enough amount to pay with the given money because as careful as he had been with finances this month, the cat had been rather expensive and got him into a pinch.

“Your address? Or do you want it to fetch?”, the stranger grumbles and even though he is the kind of person Yahaba wouldn't trust on the first glance, he doesn't have time nor a real choice, so he takes a card, scribbles his address as well as name on it and hands it over.

“You better manage this or you ruin my daughter's birthday completely.”

He makes a note to apologise to the women later because it's not their fault and he feels bad being angry like that – thankfully no customers had been around.

* * *

  
  


(Her birthday is a success and seeing her happy made all the stress worth it.)

 

* * *

 

  
  


The man whose name Yahaba still doesn't know really shows up the next day, and it's admirable to be up this early despite of a Saturday, though he might have work that day, it's not like he really knows anything about that man. He looks scarier than Yahaba remembers, blond bleached hair and retrospectively, it's kind of amazing that he brought up the courage to talk to him like that.

“Good morning mister, did you bring me my cake?”

Yahaba's daughter is hiding behind her father's leg when she looks up to the stranger who nods, passing the box to Yahaba who carefully gives it to his daughter and tells her to bring it to the kitchen. When she is gone, he turns back to the man and pulls out his wallet, much to the other one's irritation.

“What is this for?”

“The cake. You ran into me but I could have been careful too. Also I'm sorry for that, I was a bit stressed”, he explains, looking a bit irritated when the other one raises an eyebrow as if he didn't believe he actually was a nice person.

“What? I'm not an asshole.”

“You certainly did act like one”, he points out with such a calm that Yahaba feels even more frustrated, after all “I said I'm sorry, didn't I?”

He is losing his composure, Yahaba can tell without looking at the other one's bewildered expression, so he takes a deep breath. Not here, not in the presence of his child.

“I don't want the money”, he finally says and before the other one can reply, his daughter comes running to him with the widest grin, thanking the stranger.

“Father, come and look how pretty the cake is.”

“I thought we wanted to eat together”, Yahaba says to his daughter, flicking some cream from her nose when she wants to say that this is was the plan – she does look a bit guilty, not long enough though, especially when she looks back at the other man.

“Is the mister eating with us, too?”, she wants to know, her tiny hand reaching out for his big one before Yahaba can correct her, pulling him in, after all he has to hurry up, “or the cat will escape again.”

He is too stunned to do anything, allows her to drag him inside, almost stumbling when he is taking off his shoes on the way; Yahaba just shakes his head, closing the door behind them.

“It's really pretty mister, thank you.”

“You should ask for his name, don't you think?”, Yahaba suggests, can't really scold her for not doing so before because he hadn't done this as well – not that she has to know this.

“Kyoutani Kentarou”, he finally introduces himself, and even though it stands on the card he scribbled his address on, Yahaba thinks it would have been polite to ask for his name in return as well.

“Thank you very much, Kentarou-san. Will you help me cut the cake? I'm not allowed to use a sharp knife like this alone.”

He looks a bit lost in their kitchen, so Yahaba lightly nudges him since it's his daughter's wish to do so, and while they portion the cake, his hands wrapped around her small ones which hold the knives handle, Yahaba makes them coffee and his daughter some orange juice.

They were just finished placing the pieces on the plate when the phone rings. The display shows that it's his mother, so Yahaba passes the phone to his daughter who goes to the living room and tells her grandmother how her birthday had been; she leaves the two men alone.

“So, you made this?”, Yahaba starts to make some conversation, waiting for his daughter to come back so that they could eat together, only earning a nod – by now it's pretty obvious that Kyoutani isn't someone who is good at conversation, still, he doesn't let this stop him because awkward silence is not something he anticipated.

“Thank you. It makes her really happy.”

“It was no big deal.”

He looks slightly embarrassed being praised like this by the two of them and it's kind of cute, Yahaba muses, but nothing more, cutting off his thoughts right there and then because there is no way he'd think like that about this guy.

It's hard though, when Kyoutani puts spoon after spoon of sugar in his coffee, something Yahaba feels like pointing out, but thankfully his daughter comes back with a pleased smile. And so while he tries to fight his thoughts, his daughter almost chews Kyoutani's ear off, asking him questions but telling about her friends before he has the chance to reply, about her cat and the kitten which she'll get, how she spent the day with her friends yesterday.

And much to Yahaba's surprise, Kyoutani listens, nods and not once complains and the only thing Yahaba annoys is the fact that he leaves after just an hour – it's still longer than they would have thought.

* * *

Yahaba stops at the shop on Monday after his shift ended.

“I'm really sorry for the argument I caused last time”, he tells the cashier who smiles, assures him that he doesn't need to worry about this, that they got a few customers, some mothers whose daughters liked the cake a lot, so it's nothing he has to feel guilty about.

“I'm glad to hear that.”

He assumes she just says that because it's her job to do, so he smiles and inwardly thanks her for it, puts some tip in the jar when she isn't looking for a second.

“It's amazing though, our new pastry chef looked less scary coming to work.”

“He isn't the owner, is he?”, he carefully asks, just once to make sure.

“No, but his cakes are second to no one. He still has to work on a few things though. Ah, but you haven't heard this from me.”

“Obviously.”

They laugh together until the bell chimes and the person they talked about enters the shop. Yahaba thinks he looks annoyed but he can't say for sure, so he smiles at him, probably a bit fake.

“Well hello there, you here again?”

Kyoutani walks past him without a word and Yahaba would have been more offended if he hadn't caught his blush – or maybe he is just imagine it. Whatever, he probably isn't going to see him again.

*

When he comes home, Yahaba is greeted by a battle field – his kitchen had never looked this terrible and in the middle of it were a disappointed little girl and a sobbing Yachi.

“I just wanted to make a cake like Kentarou-san and asked auntie to help me”, she explains when Yachi doesn't know what to say aside from apologises and promises that she'll clean everything up.

“It's okay, don't worry. It doesn't always work out on the first try. It takes a lot of practise”, he says while looking around, wondering how they managed the batter on the ceiling and deciding that he doesn't really want to know.

She isn't satisfied with the answer, after all she always is good at the things she tries and not being able to do this is frustrating, so he does something he regrets a few seconds later.

(Retrospectively though he is glad to have said it.)

He mentions Kyoutani.

“Kyoutani-san also needed to practise, I'm sure that despite of his divine cake, it didn't always work on the first time.”

She seems to consider his words, and then, shyly, she looks up to him.

“Father, do you think Kentarou-san would help me?”

“He has to work”, is the first thing he says hesitantly, because he can't tell whether Kyoutani would be the type to help or whether he wants to take care of the man's child who yelled at him.

“He could come over again like last time”, she suggests and he almost feels bad when he tells her that he can't just invite him over and the hopeful look in her eyes wavers, replaced by a disappointed one.

“Why not?”

“Because...”

There a a lot of reasons, but suddenly he doesn't seem to remember any of them and Yachi isn't a big help either, or maybe she is staying out of the conversation so that his daughter gets her way, it wouldn't really surprise him.

Yahaba sighs. He is really too weak.

And he also really needs to thank Kyoutani's co-workers who persuade him when Yahaba comes to the shop on Thursday because he is sure that he would have upset him on his own in some way otherwise. But he tries to ignore this, after all his daughter is really happy about it, and Kyoutani is rather patient with her – the kitchen is still in terrible condition, but the muffins they made taste better than they look.

Also spending a bit time with Kyoutani again isn't so bad, Yahaba realises, even though he still barely knows him and it's difficult to get something out of him – so far he only knows that they are the same age and he just moved back to Miyagi from Tokyo.

It's not much so he is kind of happy that Kyoutani doesn't refuse when he invites him over next week again, even though his agreement is nothing more than a nod, maybe out of courtesy.

* * *

 

The next Saturday – to Yahaba's amusement – there are suddenly four children with Kyoutani in the kitchen and it's kind of obvious that he has no idea how to deal with that.

Yahaba thinks it's adorable, even though he doesn't want to think about it. Actually screw that. Teachers are a taboo, he didn’t get this cute doctors numbers and his neighbours are already very close, so he has all the right to ogle the man while he is trying to teach the children.

“Have you thought about offering baking classes for kids at the shop? I bet you would earn something instead of coming here all the time. Not that I mind.” _You can be here as often as you want,_ he thinks when the children sit in the living room, eating a slice of cake while watching a film.

“I'm not good with children”, he mutters, but as soon as Yahaba laughs, he glares at him.

“Sorry, but if you haven't realised it before, my daughter adores you”, he tries to justify his reaction, but all he gets in return is a “well, she is your daughter” as if this would explain everything.

“Rude. But the other three do as well.”

He just shrugs, as if he can't really believe his words but would like to, so Yahaba thinks for a moment, before he offers to work on a concept with him in case this is his problem.

“And you can do something like that?”

“Don't be so sceptical all the time. And yes, office administration is something I do quite often.”

He doesn't really seem convinced, so Yahaba takes some pen and paper to ask him a few things and before they realise it, they come up with some basic things that day, would meet next Friday again to get a better grip on it; Yahaba is pretty pleased that Kyoutani isn't refusing for even a second to come over.

His daughter is happy to see him after school, even though he isn't there to bake with her.

They sit together at the kitchen table, figuring it out and Kyoutani is surprised that he is the one who almost has to force Yahaba to take a break, not to mention that he still doesn't get why he helps him. He said it's repayment for baking with his daughter, yet Kyoutani can't tell what he is thinking about, whether this is his real motif.

This time, Yahaba doesn't make him a coffee but tea and he can see the relief in Kyoutani's eyes; he should have thought from his profession that bitter stuff wasn't his thing. Though to be honest, he barely knows anything about him and neither does Kyoutani, so it's no surprise that it's rather silent between them now. Should he talk? Kyoutani seems to ask himself the same question, has no idea what about though, so he blurts out the next best thing he can think of.

“What happened to her mother?”

Way too go for some small talk. Yahaba blinks, confused, but eventually he just chuckles, shaking his head in amusement – Kyoutani doesn't complain, it's better than yelling.

“Nothing. Still alive, living her life. Just not with me after we divorced.”

From the look of it, Kyoutani didn't expect such an answer, so Yahaba can't help but telling a bit more, maybe also to avoid silence again.

“We just... didn't work out, I think? Drifted apart and realised that it's better to divorce. Our daughter shouldn't grow up and think that marriage is the end of one's life. We weren't unhappy but realised that we might end up like that if we continue.”

Kyoutani doesn't say anything to that and Yahaba wonders why he doesn't feel as uncomfortable as he thought he'd be.

“So, she is a good mother?”, he asks, still rather surprised about the honesty he speaks with.

“Yes. She visits her mother during the weekend but currently she is in Australia for a year. What about you? Wife? Children?”

He doesn't know what he should expect, however when Kyoutani says that he lives alone, he certainly realises that this is an answer he wanted to hear.

“I see.”

The rest of the small break is spend in silence and this time, it's rather comfortable.

* * *

It's pretty easy to convince the owner of the shop, or maybe that's because of how convincing Kyoutani can be, so it doesn't take a month until the café invites children for a baking class. The first Saturday is free, only a jar for some donations in case they like the service, but since the mothers and occasional fathers decide to eat and drink, they do earn money and Kyoutani would probably not admit it, but Yahaba can see that he sort of enjoys it.

And they do get children to sign up, or their parents, for future, paid classes. Yahaba signs his daughter up as well and she can't stop smiling; he hasn't seen her so outspoken in a while. School is really good for her, the friends she made. If this is what independence means, he might not be too heartbroken when she grows up and lives her own life

* * *

Yahaba is sitting in the café again, waiting for his daughter, when Kyoutani sits next to him during his break. It's a silent agreement they have and the pastry chef never questions why he chose this café – it's close to his work, the reason why Yahaba came her in the first place so that he doesn't lose time (that Kyoutani working there is now a reason as well is something Yahaba tries not to mention in case he is asked). Kyoutani can see that something is bothering him that day, but he has no idea what to say or if he is even allowed to, not that this is really the problem; Yahaba sighs because it's kind of annoying how he fidgets.

“Her mother called”, he eventually says and he can see the relief on Kyoutani's face, because all he has to do now is uttering a “Why?”

“The reason she chose Australia was because of a friend and now he asked her to live with him. She intends to say yes, but she doesn't want to leave me alone with the responsibility of raising a child on my own. I said she should go for it, that I'll manage. But I don't know how to tell our daughter. If it had been before she entered school, she could have lived with her mother, learning the language, but now she is so happy here...”

“Easy. Buy her a computer so that she can skype with her mother, tell your ex-wife to send money so that you can send her on holidays, maybe she can do an exchange year if she is older, I don't see a problem.”

Yahaba looks at him with wide eyes, doesn't say anything for a moment so that Kyoutani feels restless under his gaze.

“What?”

“That's... the smartest thing you have said so far.”

Koyutani turns red and he himself isn't sure if it's from embarrassment, being indirectly praised or anger, so he stands up without another word and leaves a snickering Yahaba behind (maybe it's a bit of everything).

*

“Hey, little one. Your mother might start living in Australia”, Yahaba starts their conversation after dinner, imagines that it will be a difficult talk, but she smiles and says that it's fine, after all she can still see her, right?

“Of course you can. But not every weekend like usual. You okay with that?”

Is it really that easy, he wonders, just like Kyoutani had told him before? Apparently.

“Yes! Papa Kentarou is here after all, so I'm not lonely. And I'm sure that mummy will send me postcards and oh, do you think I can write her letters?”

He smiles because it's impossible to hide how proud he is of her, but then it takes a lot of willpower not to blush after realising how she called Kyoutani, so instead of saying that this is no problem, he tells her that she can't just call him that.

“My friend said that you are acting like her parents and when I told himt that he said he doesn't mind me calling him papa”, she explains, looks clearly confused because her friend from baking class is a very wise person who is even two years older than her.

“Am I not allowed to?”

He doesn't know what to say, so he just picks her um, causing her to laugh happily because this is no denial.

Yahaba has a plan now and for that he needs to talk with him.

* * *

“She calls you papa”, is the first thing Yahaba says when he meets Kyoutani after closing the shop; he looks taken aback, though the little ambush doesn't seem to surprise him, as if he expected him to do this sooner or later.

“It's hard to say no. Also it's just a name, right? She calls your former wife still her mother, but doesn't mean that you guys are in a relationship, right?”

“So I'm not good enough, huh?”

“I didn't mean –”

Kyoutani looks less embarrassed and more irritated that Yahaba has to be like that again, after all he didn't question his capability being in a relationship, but he looks confused when he sees how hard he tries to hide his laughter.

“Sorry. Actually I don't mind it so much, she doesn't call you papa because you take care of her like a father after all. Yachi is her auntie and not mother, you know, even though she helped me so much already and continues to do.”

“So?”

Kyoutani isn't sure what he is intending to say, where this is leading to, but even if he had known, hearing it after all is nothing he can prepare himself for.

“Kentarou, let me invite you for dinner.”

“Like a date?”

He seems wary, and even Yahaba's “exactly” isn't really reassuring, after all there is no reason why he should even consider to like him, is there? But instead of saying this, how he can't believe he likes him as a person, he blurts out: “You had a wife.” _A woman._

“Yeah, and this didn't work out, I told you, didn't I?”

“Oh.”

Had he been amused before, Yahaba feels a bit stupid now, insecure, because _maybe he doesn't actually want anything but feels molested and my daughter will never be able to meet him because it's too awkward and I have to explain her that I wanted to date him_ and he certainly spends too much time around Yachi.

“Okay. Now?”, Kyoutani wants to now, after all it's not that late yet and in return Yahaba is relieved, tries to mask it though, to keep his confident composure and shakes it head.

“The weekend. Today we have our usual dinner, but you can join.”

Kyoutani doesn't know what to think of this. Isn't this their usual dinner their family dinner which means time for themselves? Why should he come along? As if reading his thoughts, Yahaba rolls with his eyes, grabbing for Kyoutani's wrist and pulling him along.

“Come, don't be so complicated”, he complains, doesn't stop when all Kyoutani seems to be able to say is “It's your family dinner”, like he would intrude some private territory – that he already did and Yahaba never cared, was actually the one who invited him, doesn't cross his mind.

“Exactly, and since your almost part of it, you can't be missing”, Yahaba explains and this time, Kyoutani can't – doesn't want to – argue with him.

* * *

 

A month passes and Kyoutani became something like a constant in their life, already had been, though now he is staying over after baking with his daughter, had been on one or two dates already and the nervousness before their first kiss is replaced by satisfaction.

“What are you smiling about again?”, Kyoutani wants to know, sitting cross-legged on the couch and looking up at Yahaba.

“Nothing. I just didn't expect you to look so cute with a kitten in your arm.”

His smile has a teasing edge to it and so he is rather pleased when Kyoutani blushes.

“I'm a bit jealous though that she gets to cuddle with you and not me.”

“Well, I take her home with me one day, right?”

“Can't argue with that.”

Their cat had thrown four kitten and there were only three other girls taking them, so Kyoutani had offered to take the other one, or more importantly his daughter had asked him, would have restored to puppy eyes if she had to; fortunately he is – despite of his looks – already weak enough and accepted without Yahaba asking him to.

“But you're cute when you're not trying to act all nonchalant.”

“Whatever.”

Yahaba smiles, bends down to snatch a kiss.

“Not in front of the children”, his daughter who enters the room gasps, taking the little kitten with her, “how am I supposed to leave you alone with them?”

“Don't worry, we'll behave. Just enjoy the time, okay?”, Yahaba smiles, crouching down in front of her and giving her a kiss and it's then when Kyoutani realises her bag, but he has no time to ask before Yahaba places the kitten back in his arms and leads his daughter to the door.

There is a female voice coming from the entrance, a carefree laugh coming from Yahaba and as much as Kyoutani wants to know who it is, he can't bring himself to stand up and so he simply stars at Yahaba in confusion when he comes back.

“She is going to her grandmother for the weekend, wants to take her to somewhere as a late birthday present”, he explains, however this doesn't clear anything – hadn't Yahaba called him over for making dessert?

He certainly thought that he was here to teach the little one something, so he tells him that. In return, Yahaba just smiles, eyes glinting with mischief; it's something which sends shivers down his spine, though it's not a bad thing, far from it.

“I am the dessert.”

“Oh”, is the only intelligent answer Kyoutani has, until it clicks.

_Oh!_

“Come”, Yahaba smiles, taking the by now sleeping kitten to his daughter's room to its siblings and mother before heading towards his own room.

Thankfully, he doesn't have to tell Kyoutani twice.


	2. Conversation snippets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> To see behind the curtain of the little family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading so far, the Kudos and the comments, I'm glad people like this AU! These are the other days of KyouHaba week I posted on tumblr seperately in the order of Day 2 (touch), 1 (smile/hands), 6 (past/future) and 4 (soulmates). They are scenes which didn't make it in the first chapter but I hope you can still see a red thread connecting them.

It's not the first time that Yahaba sits on the edge of his daughter's bed even though she tells him he doesn't have to, that she is fine even though she is clearly not, her cheeks rosy due to a fever and the bangs of her blond hair clinging to her sweaty forehead until he brushes it aside and replaces it with a cold cloth

Normally Yahaba would try to busy himself with other thoughts, but he has a week off and there is just nothing on his mind but the thought of his little girl not wanting to eat her favourite food or being exited after learning something new at school, not to mention how much she tries to look fine so that she doesn't worry him.

So he stays by her side until she falls asleep with a plush dog close to her chest and he can leave without feeling guilty, a baby monitor which he hasn't used in ages standing on the bedside table, just to make sure.

“She is finally asleep”, Yahaba mumbles when he collapses next to Kyoutani on the sofa, a relieved sigh escaping him as soon as his head lies in his lap, stretching his legs.

His boyfriend doesn't know what to say, though it doesn't matter. All it needs is to rest his hand on his shoulder, a reassuring gesture and for a moment Yahaba calms down, leaning into the hand which wanders from the shoulder to pet his hair.

“Tomorrow she'll feel better”, he eventually says and Yahaba is almost touched by his attempts to comfort him, so he sits up and kisses him on the cheek.

“Thank you.”

Kyoutani mumbles something under his breath, words which are lost when he presses their lips together, an action which elicits Yahaba a laugh. It's short but they don't part, foreheads resting against each other and Yahaba would have been content to sit next to each other like that for the rest of the evening, so he is rather irritated when Kyoutani pulls away with a frown.

“What's wrong?”

He doesn't answer, just presses his palm against Yahaba's forehead, his frown deepening, unsure what to say when Yahaba begs him not to say that he has fever. He doesn't have to, his expression is enough and all Yahaba can do is to sigh; it looks like the chances of convincing him to stay the night, preferably spending cuddling until morning, just sunk.

Or not. Because Kyoutani tells him to change and get ready for the night, even though it's just past eight and he probably has better things to do than to mother him, his conscience informs him, as if he has nothing better to do than worrying and feeling guilty that day.

But he feels tired and does as he is told, wondering whether Kyoutani left in the meanwhile, but judging by the noises in his kitchen, he is still present and eventually shows up when Yahaba already buried himself in blankets on his bed.

“Rest.”

It's the only thing Kyoutani says when he puts a cup of tea on the bedside table, turning to see if there are still some of his clothes from last time because Yahaba insists on doing his laundry as far as it concerns his sleeping clothes. He does find an old high school shirt and some shorts before he joins Yahaba who looks pleasantly surprised, especially when Kyoutani wraps an arm around him to pull him closer.

“What's so funny?”, he wants to know when Yahaba can't stop grinning and has to bury his face in his chest to keep from laughing.

“Nothing”, he mumbles against his shirt, “just thought that I got my own plush dog to cuddle with.”

Yahaba doesn't know if he caught his muffled explanation, but judging by the arm which tightens just a bit around his waist, like it wants to keep him closer, he assumes that Kyoutani doesn't mind to be his cuddle bear for the night.

 

 

* * *

 

 

They're home alone, lounging comfortable sideways on the sofa with Yahaba sitting between Kyoutani's legs, back pressed against his chest, when the question eventually comes up.

“You played sports?”

Kyoutani had said nothing so far, allowed Yahaba to play with his hands while they watched a film, maybe even enjoyed the touch more than he'd like to admit, doesn't just allow it to humour Yahaba. Because it's kind of soothing, how his thumb brushes against the back of his hand, fingers tracing little paths on his palm as if Yahaba intended to read them.

(He wouldn't be surprised if he actually does.)

“Volleyball. Until high school. Why?”

Kyoutani is almost mesmerised by the way Yahaba seems to be fascinated with his hands, doesn't talk much so that he can listen to the other one instead.

“Not playing sport with these hands would have been a waste. Bet you were always an ace”, Yahaba replies and his voice seems so far away that Kyoutani wonders if he even paid attention to the film, whether there is something else on his mind besides the hands which people normally don't associate with someone who baked cakes for a living.

“Maybe.”

Kyoutani expects Yahaba to laugh, even tease him about being so short-spoken, but instead he smiles, pressing his lips against Kyoutani's palm as if he tries to cover the smile with a kiss.

“Let's play together. You can teach me.”

Kyoutani would have questioned this statement a few weeks ago, raising an eyebrow and suggest with these action that he doubts his skill to understand. But now he thinks different and maybe Yahaba knew it, brought it up because he was aware that the thought of showing him something would make him happy.

So, gently shaking off Yahaba's hands, Kyoutani takes them in his and turns them over, trying to mimic the way Yahaba had handled his before.

“They're good hands to play setter. Strong, but not good enough for a spiker or wide enough for a middle blocker. Though you are tall.”

“I have no idea what this means, but whatever you want”, Yahaba laughs softly, a sound Kyoutani always enjoys to hear, a pleasant distraction, though he can't help feeling a bit embarrassed, how Yahaba could tell how much he enjoys this sport by rambling about positions without thinking; his ears turn red and he is sure that Yahaba would call him adorable again if he saw it.

“Kentarou, your hands are sweating, am I making you nervous?”, he chirps, laughing again when Kyoutani tells him to shut up and watch the film, even more so when he doesn't pull away, allows Yahaba to resume with his task, as if he wasn't finished remembering any line.

Yahaba doesn't say anything any more but can't help smiling the rest of the evening.

  
  


* * *

 

Kyoutani isn't used to see Yahaba this serious, a deep frown on his face.

“Stop this”, he orders him to, doesn't know it better, though he is sure that Yahaba would have brushed off any concern he showed, maybe even fake some innocence and telling him how touched he is that his boyfriend is so worried about him.

“What?”

It takes Yahaba a moment to react to this, as if Kyoutani hadn't popped the little bubble he is in but just woke up from a dream, trying to realise that he is back in reality.

“Bottling everything up”, is the only thing Kyoutani can say, though he tries to keep a straight face, doesn't want to show any irritation; he doesn't really succeed but Yahaba is too preoccupied with his own thoughts to realise that.

“You never really think about the future, do you?”

It takes Kyoutan by surprise and suddenly it's him who needs a moment. It's been a little over a year since they meet for the first time and even though he never agreed to this in front of Yahaba, he thought that he was part of their family now and didn't really think about a future which didn't involve them. Not that he really thinks that far ahead, the future – and this includes anything past a month – was bothersome.

“Where is this coming from?”

“There is still so much awaiting us. My daughter isn't in middle school yet and maybe she will join a sports club as well one day and even later she might get married... Do you want to be part of this family?”, he wants to know, though all Kyoutani can hear is _are you sure that you won't regret staying?_

“Why are you making this so complicated? She is eight. If I didn't want to stay I wouldn't.”

It's rather simple, Kyoutani thinks, but considering Yahaba's expression, he doubts this.

“This isn't too fast for you?”

“Is it too fast for you?”, Kyoutani asks instead of replying and it stops Yahaba for a second, halts his thoughts.

“The thought is just... scary? I was dating my ex-wife since the beginning of high school, we survived a long distance relationship during college and married after graduating... and divorced when our little one had been three years old. I... don't want to push you into something because I –”

Yahaba stops when Kyoutani faces him, or more precisely makes him stop by grabbing his shoulders and forcing Yahaba to look him in the eyes; he hates it when Yahaba looks at anything but him during talking, avoiding any eye contact because he fears to reveal too much.

“I don't care that you were married. Or with a woman. And I don't think that your daughter is luggage of the past.”

Maybe he is a bit mad because he thought that Yahaba understood him, figured him out, but then he realises that fear and worries can cloud one's mind and he tries not to show it.

“You... yeah, I'm sorry. Thank you.”

Even though it's rather small and doesn't reach his eyes yet, there is a small smile on his lips and so Kyoutani takes his hands off his shoulders.

“Don't be.”

Kyoutani supposes that he would have felt the same in Yahaba's position, after all he thought he had found the right one and when it turned out that it wasn't the case, one starts to question himself – or something like that, Kyoutani doesn't really understand these things because their had been no regret, so it couldn't have been a bad thing.

“I should think step by step...”, Yahaba mumbles to himself, a way of thinking Kyoutani greatly appreciates, and the only question he has now is which thought triggered the fear in this moment.

When he asks Yahaba that, he doesn't know how to phrase it at first and this time Kyoutani allows him to avert his eyes.

“I... was just wondering. You're flat is kind of small? I mean you are living on your own, so it's not a surprise.”

“Are you trying to insult me, or...?”

“Do you want to move in with us?”, he blurts out before Kyoutani gets the wrong idea, “I mean you are sleeping over a lot and if you don't want to sleep in the same bed all the time we can move furniture around and get your bed in it and...”

“This is all?”

Yahaba winces, expects a reject but when he looks up at Kyoutani, he sees a dust of pink on his cheeks and his “Thought you would never ask” is more of a grumble than an amused smirk.

“Oh, are we getting bashful now?”

“How can you always be such annoying even though you were so... ah, whatever. Yeah, I like moving in with you two.”

That this is for now stays unspoken between them, the necessity of moving in a bigger place not mentioned, but judging by Yahaba's smile and Kyoutani kissing him, both seem very aware of this – and might be looking forward to that day.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Father? What does meeting your soulmate mean? What is a soulmate?”, his twelve year old daughter asks with a curiosity which always surprises but also pleases him, trying to sit still at the kitchen table while her father braids her hair.

“It's a person you're destined to meet”, he tells her, smiling when she asks how one could tell when they meet them, after all it's not like there was a mark or certain words connecting them or a red string attached to their fingers, at least nothing visible.

“You're getting along right away and you realise that life without them feels... not like it's supposed to be”, he explains, though he isn't really sure about that, after all he never spend time on such a question, even though he had been married and you wife was supposed to be one of the most important people in your life, something the concept of a soulmate described pretty well, right?

“So you and papa are soulmates?”, she muses out loud, almost looking at him but remembering in the right second that she can't turn her head when Yahaba still didn't tie her hair properly.

Yahaba has to think for a second, wondering whether he can tell her, but there is no use hiding it, after all their relationship developed and probably wouldn't be like it had been back then.

“No, I don't think so. Actually we didn't really like each other the first time.”

“Because you dropped the cake when you first meet, right?”

Yahaba can hear her smiling and it takes him a moment because he can't remember telling her about it, though even when he admits it and asks who told her, she doesn't reply, asks a different question.

“But you can't imagine a life without him now? Because I don't.”

Yahaba smiles.

“No. But you can't because of his cakes, right?”

She pouts, crossing her arm in front of her chest because he is obviously wrong, she would miss her papa, not just his cakes; speaking of the devil, the door opens and said person enters the apartment.

“What are you talking about?”, he wants to know when he sees her frown which is immediately gone just as he is in their field of vision, every talk of a soulmate forgotten.

“Nothing”, they chirp at the same time, laughing when Kyoutani raises an eyebrow in disbelief, muttering something similar to “just like her daddy”.

“Papa, catch”, she shouts, jumping into his arms – she still hasn't grown very much but Kyoutani fears the day she might be taller than him, being the smallest in the family doesn't seem very promising.

“Be careful there. So, I heard you where going somewhere?”

Yahaba leans against the doorframe when his daughter sprints to her room, the question directed at Kyoutani who uses the chance and loosely wraps and arm around Yahaba's waist, kissing him.

“I joint my volleyball team. Papa is going to teach me in the park today”, they hear her explanation from the room, parting just in time before she comes back (she reached this phase in which kissing parents are gross and showing affection is super embarrassing).

“I see, have fun and be careful.”

He doesn't mention that she could have told him before he worked carefully on her hair, maybe he could have done something different, a bun which wouldn't bother her during games; he wonders whether she will cut her hair one day an it's a sad thought so he shoves it aside.

“We will.”

Kyoutani gives him a last kiss before they are gone, ignoring his daughter's grimace and feeling the other one's smile against his own instead, a silent promise for more – maybe it would be time to allow her sleeping over at a friend again.

“I'm sure you do. Be back on time for dinner, I'll make us some ikura don.”

They just wave and when the door closes behind them, Yahaba sits down on the sofa and leans back, thinking.

“Soulmate, hm?”

Yahaba smiles to himself – he kind of liked the thought.


End file.
